Competitive Dynamics and Pricing Behavior in US Hotels: The Role of Co-location

Which hotels benefit from locating next to competitors? In this study of 14,995 hotels we provide evidence of both a price benefit and a detriment for specific hotels that co‐locate next to other hotels. Relying on the theoretical framework of agglomeration economics, the results reveal that hotels that co‐locate in the same geographic cluster with the highest quality segmented firms (luxury hotels) accrue a price premium compared to competitors in markets with larger proportions of lower‐segmented competitors. The strongest price premiums were obtained by midscale hotels without food and beverage in clusters with large proportions of luxury and upscale hotels. Similarly, high‐end hotels that pursue differentiation strategies experience price erosion when they are in the same geographic location as lower‐end hotels. Luxury hotels experienced the greatest price erosion when they operate in locations with large proportions of economy and midscale hotels. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for competitive dynamics and hotel location decisions

Using Tourist Travel Habits and Preferences to Assess Strategic Destination Positioning: The Case of Costa Rica

A study of 118 U.S. travelers to Costa Rica is analyzed to highlight how consumer preferences and patterns of consumption can be used to reveal the status of a particular destination in its life cycle. Using a model for destinations\u27 psychographics developed by S. C. Plog, the analysis shows that Costa Rica may be increasingly appealing to the middle of the psychographic distribution. While this trend is not inherently bad, it challenges Costa Rica\u27s destination managers to consider carefully what type of further development they will allow. This research illustrates the means by which other destinations can assess their own positioning to ensure that they are using strategies to attract the most profitable tourist segments

Localized concentration reversal of lithium during intercalation into nanoparticles.

Nanoparticulate electrodes, such as Li x FePO4, have unique advantages over their microparticulate counterparts for the applications in Li-ion batteries because of the shortened diffusion path and access to nonequilibrium routes for fast Li incorporation, thus radically boosting power density of the electrodes. However, how Li intercalation occurs locally in a single nanoparticle of such materials remains unresolved because real-time observation at such a fine scale is still lacking. We report visualization of local Li intercalation via solid-solution transformation in individual Li x FePO4 nanoparticles, enabled by probing sub-angstrom changes in the lattice spacing in situ. The real-time observation reveals inhomogeneous intercalation, accompanied with an unexpected reversal of Li concentration at the nanometer scale. The origin of the reversal phenomenon is elucidated through phase-field simulations, and it is attributed to the presence of structurally different regions that have distinct chemical potential functions. The findings from this study provide a new perspective on the local intercalation dynamics in battery electrodes

High Throughput Screen for Inhibitors of Rac1 GTPase by Flow Cytometry

High throughput (HT) screening is at the starting point for most drug discovery programs. As the range of targets being pursued widens new technologies have to be deployed to enable assays built to measure the activity of proteins previously deemed challenging. Flow cytometry is a technology providing multi-parametric analysis of single cells or other particles in suspension, such as beads. High throughput (HT) flow cytometry has become a very attractive screening platform for drug discovery. In this chapter we describe a 1536 well format high throughput screen of 500,000 compounds to find inhibitors of Rac1 GTPase to prevent allergic airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma. We discuss the assay development, miniaturization and validation carried out prior to the full screening campaign. We then describe how we have automated our iQue® HD screener instruments and how we proceed with the data analysis and explain why we chose to run this screen on a flow cytometer and how it enabled us to reduce cost and timelines for the project

Competitive Destination Planning: The Case of Costa Rica

Travelers\u27 attitudes and activities provide a strong indication of the status of a particular destination with regard to whether it is still being discovered or whether it is headed for decline. Using Stanley Plog\u27s long-established continuum of travelers\u27 psychographic types as matched to their preferred destinations, this study examines travelers\u27 habits and attitudes, using a sample of U.S. tourists to Costa Rica. An analysis of that information provides inferences about Costa Rica\u27s status on the continuum of tourism destinations. Although the respondent pool is relatively small and is self-selected, the results suggest that Costa Rica may be losing some of its cachet as a relatively unknown destination for venturesome travelers (known as Venturers, in Plog\u27s continuum). Instead, the results give strong indication that development in Costa Rica has reached the point that the nation appeals to the broad mid-market of travelers, whom Plog dubs Mid-Centrics. While destination planners may at first applaud the increased arrival numbers of the Mid-Centrics, it soon becomes apparent that they spend less than the intrepid Venturer-type visitors, and their presence encourages the kind of rampant development that leads to a destination\u27s decline

Microstructural Evolution in a Precipitate-Hardened (Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1)94Ti2Al4 Multi-Principal Element Alloy during High-Pressure Torsion

Multi-principal element alloys demonstrate high strength, thermal stability, and irradiation resistance, making them excellent candidate materials for applications in nuclear reactors and other harsh environments. Some studies have examined the use of high-pressure torsion to strengthen MPEAs through grain size reduction and strain hardening. However, no studies have investigated the effect of HPT on secondary phases (precipitates) within an MPEA. Two alloys, (Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1)94Ti2Al4 containing Ni(Ti, Al) B2 phase, and CrFe σ phase, and single-phase Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1, were fabricated by casting and heat treatment. Both alloys were then processed with HPT to study microstructural evolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the alloys before and after HPT processing. HPT processing produced a nanocrystalline structure in both alloys, but (Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1)94Ti2Al4 exhibited a significantly smaller grain size and higher dislocation density than Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1, with corresponding higher hardness. Before HPT, the (Fe0.3Ni0.3Mn0.3Cr0.1)94Ti2Al4 alloy consisted of large grain (~ 400 μm) and precipitates, including B2 of ~ 38 μm average size, B2 of ~ 0.7 μm average size, and small amounts of σ of ~ 1.5 µm average size. After HPT, the larger B2 precipitates were decreased in size and volume fraction, while the smaller B2 precipitates were completely dissolved; the σ precipitates appeared unaffected by HPT, likely due to their much higher hardness. Observation of the B2 precipitate distribution along radial distance indicates that the strain caused the precipitates to fracture at intermediate strain (γ = 125) and dissolve at high strain (γ = 280)

Advance on risk assessment methods of multiple chemicals combined exposure and its enlightenment to the construction of relevant systems in China

People in the real world are exposed to multiple chemicals via multiple routes and co-exposure to multiple agents may induce joint effects, which draws extensive attention from the international community. Regulations of many countries oblige risk assessors to conduct cumulative risk assessments based on their own guidelines, findings of which provide the basis for scientific decision-making. By analyzing the method and frameworks of international risk assessment models of multiple chemicals, this paper explores the establishment of a risk assessment framework of multiple chemicals combined exposure to in food in China